For the homeowners of a property beside Tom Rudd Beck, periods of prolonged heavy rainfall brought a very real concern. As water levels rose and the adjoining bank continued to erode, they feared that the land supporting their home could become increasingly unstable, leaving the property vulnerable to serious damage.

A curved Verti-Block retaining wall was designed to protect the eroding bank, safeguard the property and give the homeowners greater confidence in the long-term security of their home.

Project & Requirements

Located at Tweed Mill in Cockermouth, the property sits beside Tom Rudd Beck, a tributary of the River Cocker.

The wider Cockermouth area has experienced several significant flood events, making the impact of prolonged heavy rainfall and rising water levels an understandable concern for those living beside its rivers and tributaries.

At Tweed Mill, repeated erosion of the bank beside the property was gradually reducing the land separating the house from the beck. The house is constructed on a concrete slab rather than conventional foundations, while poor surrounding soil conditions added to the homeowners’ concerns about the long-term stability of the ground.

They feared that, if the erosion was allowed to continue, the land supporting their home could become increasingly vulnerable during future periods of intense rainfall and high water levels.

A robust retaining wall was therefore required to stabilise the edge of the property, prevent further loss of the bank and provide greater long-term protection for the house.

Access presented a further challenge. The plot was extremely restricted, preventing large construction machinery from reaching the working area. The available space also provided insufficient room to excavate behind the proposed wall for a geogrid-reinforced system.

The chosen solution needed to be installed using smaller excavators and a 9-tonne grab while accommodating the natural curve of the beck.

The Solution

Following an initial site visit and consultation, Naylor Concrete developed a Verti-Block gravity retaining wall solution specifically for the property.

As a freestanding gravity system, Verti-Block did not require geogrid reinforcement extending behind the wall. This made it particularly well suited to the restricted plot, where sufficient excavation for a reinforced soil solution would not have been possible.

The completed structure measures approximately 24m long and reaches a maximum height of 3m. A total of 101 Verti-Block units were used, with the wall carefully arranged to follow the curve of the adjoining bank.

Cut Sandstone blocks were selected to provide a clean, natural-looking finish suited to the residential setting.

Naylor Concrete supported the project with:

• An initial site visit and consultation
• Wall design and structural calculations
• Layout and installation drawings
• Block scheduling
• Technical advice
• Delivery planning

Groundworks and installation were completed by Ian Cannon Ltd using compact machinery suited to the limited access available.

A Two-Phase Installation

Verti-Block was installed in two separate phases. Once the excavation, base preparation and other groundworks had been completed, the blocks for each phase were installed in a single day.

The homeowners were so impressed with the first completed section that they decided to extend the retaining wall by a further 7m. The additional section was subsequently designed, supplied and installed to continue the curve of the original wall.

The Outcome

The completed Verti-Block wall now provides a robust retained edge between the house and Tom Rudd Beck, helping protect the land supporting the property from further erosion during periods of heavy rainfall and elevated water levels.

For the homeowners, the project has provided something particularly important: greater reassurance that their home is better protected against the risks posed by its riverside location.

The wall has also transformed how they can use their garden. By retaining and reclaiming the previously vulnerable area beside the beck, the project created approximately 60m² of usable outdoor space.

The homeowners now plan to turn the reclaimed area into a patio where they can relax and enjoy the riverside setting without the same anxiety over the condition of the bank.

The visual and emotional impact was immediate. When the homeowners returned following the installation, they were overwhelmed by the difference the wall had made to their home.

Their experience with Verti-Block has been so positive that they chose to extend the original wall by a further 7m, while neighbouring homeowners are now considering a similar solution for their own property.

Why Verti-Block?

• Freestanding gravity retaining wall system
• No geogrid reinforcement required for this solution
• Suitable for restricted and difficult-to-access sites
• Can be installed using compact construction equipment
• Fast block installation following ground preparation
• Flexible layouts, including curved wall arrangements
• Durable and low-maintenance
• Natural-looking Cut Sandstone finish
• 120-year design life

Long-Term Reassurance for a Riverside Home

The Tweed Mill project demonstrates how a site-specific Verti-Block solution can help protect properties where erosion, restricted access and challenging ground conditions combine to create a complex retaining requirement.

By stabilising the edge of the property and helping reduce its vulnerability to further bank erosion, the completed wall has given the homeowners greater confidence in the long-term security of their home, as well as valuable new outdoor space to enjoy.

Discuss Your Retaining Wall Project

Working on a retaining wall project with restricted access, challenging ground conditions or an erosion risk? Speak to the Naylor Concrete team to discuss your requirements and find out whether Verti-Block could provide a suitable solution.

Call 01226 320810 or email precast@naylor.co.uk with your requirements to get started.